Latch



June 26, 1928. 1,674,965 W. D. FERRIS LATCH Filed Jan. 18, 1926 Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STAT S PATENT orrrce.

WILLIAM.- D. EEERIS. or srnnmns, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T FRANTZ MANUFACTURING 00., or STERLING, nnnvols, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

This invention relates to; latches for doors or windows or other closures.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved 6 construction and arrangement whereby a p mechanism, having a pivoted latch member, is operable by a rotatable handle, whereby thedoor or window or other closure is latched or unlatched by simply grasping p and rotating the knob or otherhandle,

It is also an object to. provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eificiency and the desirability of a latch mechanism of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters. hereinafter set forth and claimed, and .shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig; 1 is a front elevation of a swinging door or window having latch mechanism embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2;-2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3' is a vertical sectionon line in- Fig. 2.

Fig. i is. a in 2. r

Fi 5 is a perspective of the pivoted latch meml oer. g

As thus illustrated, the door or window horizontal section on line sash 1 has a hole 2 bored thereinto receive the sheet-metal bushing member 3, which has a transverse pivot 4 for the swinging latch member 5, this pivot being vertical, as shown, whereby said latch member swings horizontally. This latch member has abeveled end surface 6 for engaging the strike piece 7', which latter is suitably secured to the frame 8 0f the door or window. Said latch member also has a shoulder 9: to engage the end of said strikepiece T, as shown, thereby to latch the door or window or other closure in closed position. A compression coil spring 10 is interposed between one side oi the latch member 5 and the adjacent innor surface of the sheet-metal bushing member 3, thereby to. yieldingly and normally maintain the member in latching position. The outer, cup-shaped fitting 11 engages the edges of the flange 12 of the bushing member 3,as shown, and has a knob or handle 13 swiveled in the central portion thereof, as

latch mechanism,. or other latch LATCH;

Application filed January I8, 1926., Serial No. 81,933.

a cam 16 providedwith a flat side for engaging the, portions 14; and t5 previously mentioned. Thus, when the knob 13, is turned in one direction, the fiat side, oi the cam 16 will bear against the portion 1A, and will operate the latch member 5 about its ivot 4, and cause the shoulder 9. to disen-. gage the strike piece 7, thereby to l klntch the door or window orother closure, Similarly, when the knob 13 is rotated in the opposite direction, the flat side of the cam 16 will then engage the lower portion 15;, and

operate the latch member 5 about its pivot to unlatch the door or window 01? other closure, Each time, of course, when the knob 13 is released, after unlatching the door or window or other closure, the spring 10. will return the member 5 to latching position, and in so doing will rotate the knob 13 to no mal p sition, so tha ormally th straight side of the cane 16 always stands vertically, as shown in Fig, 2 of the drawings. Screws 17, or other suitable means, inserted through the fitting 1 1 and the flange 1 2, and into the window or door 1, may be employed to hold the entire latch mechanism in position, and removal of these screws will permit easy ren oval of the entire mechanism.

Thus a pivoted latch member is operated by a rotary knob or handle, and the latch mechanism is thus simple and comparatively inexpensive to nanut'acture, and is easily operated by rotation of the knob in either direction,

It will be obvious, of course, and will be readily u'nderstood,,that the latch mecha-. nismthus provided canbeused for either the top or bottomot the door or window, as well as "for the side thereof, and hence the mechanism is operable with the pivot l arranged either vertically or horizontally, orat any angle, and the latch member 5 is operable either horizontally or vertically, or in an inclined plane, depending upon the position which the mechanism is. made to occupy on the door or window or other closure, Preferably, however, the oblong knob 13. is always vertically disposed, when in normal position, and the latch mechanism will be made accordingly, so that no matter in what other suitable material.

position the member is required to operate, the knob 13 will nevertheless always have the same position, as shown, on the door or windowor other closure, when in its normal position. v

While it is obvious that the catch device, or latch mechanism, as shown and described, can be used for any desired purpose, it may be explained that this device is especially adapted for use on cupboard doors, as it can be so applied as to latch the door either to the cupboard frame, or to one of the shelves, inasmuch as the strike piece can be fastened either to the frame or to the under side of a shelf. The different parts, with the exception of the knob, may be made of steel or brass stampings, or other suitable metal, and the knob may be of metal or glass, or of any But the catch device, or latch mecl'ianism,constituting the invention, is not limited to any particular use,

and may be used on doors, windows, or other closures of any suitable character, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be seen that the cam member'lfi 1s entirely outside of the hole 2 in the door, and

is in a plane between the door and the outer wall of the fitting 11, whereby this cam may be of any desired ornecessary size, and

' whereby the whole mechanism may be compartively small and may be small enough to bring the latch member 5 close to one edge of the door, as illustrated in the drawings.

Thus the screws 17 serve to fasten the two parts 11 and 12 of the mounting together, so that this mounting is unitary, the two parts thereof being directly connected or fastened togetl'ier,as well as being connected through the medium of the cam and latch member.

tlhus, when the fastening screws 17 are withdrawn, the entire mountlng unit supporting the knob and cam and pivoted latch member and spring can be withdrawn from the door. e

yvithout dlsclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In a spring latch mechanism for a door 'or window or other closure having a hole therein, the combination of a pivoted latch member in said hole, a strike piece for engaging said latch member, a rotatable knob or handle, rotatable about an axis at right angles to the plane of the door, actuating 'means at one end of said hole and whereby rotation of said knob or handle is operative Q to" actuate said pivoted latch member, a casing comprising outer andv inner meta] secsections being separable as a unit from said door.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising a bushing in said hole, forming one of said sections, in which said latch member is pivoted, said bushing having a flange at the outer end thereof, and a fitting in which said knob is swiveled, forming another one of said sections, engaging the outer edge of said flange, together with means extending through both said flange and fitting and thereby removably securing said entire casing to the door or window or other closure.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, com prising a bushing in said hole, forming one of said sections, in which said latch member is pivoted, said bushing having a flange at the outer end thereof, and a fitting in which said knob is swiveled, forming another one of said sections, engaging the outer edge of said flange, said actuating means comprising a cam rigid with the knob and portions on said latch member to engage said cam, said fitting being hollow andforming with said flange a closed space in wh1ch said cam is disposed. V

4. In a door latch mechanism, the combination of a mounting .unit'comprising an outer part and an inner part, the outer part being cup-like on its inner side, the inner part engaging Within the outer part, having retaining means for holding the inner part in engagement with the interior of theouter part, a rotary knob swiveled only in the outerpart and havingits inner end provided with a swivel head disposed in the cavity of the outer portion andhaving a cam-like engaging portion, a latch member pivoted on said inner part and provided with means for engaging said portion, a'spring carried by the inner part and engagingsaid latch member, and a strike piece for engaging said latch member. 7

5. A structure as specified in claim 4, said mounting unit havinglholes for the insertion of screws therethrough into said door, there being space between the two parts of said mounting unit for said cam portion and for said means for engaging said cam portion.

6. A structure as specified in claim 4, said outer partof the mounting being in the form of a flat disk with an inturned flange formed at its outer edge, 'providingspac'e between the inside of said outer part and the outer side of the door, in which space said cam portion and said means for engaging the cam portion are-disposed.

Specification signed this 14th day of January 1926.

WILLIAM B. FERRIs. 

